Wire fence



(No Model.)

D. WOODFORD.

WIRE FENCE.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

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N. FEYERS. Fholo-Luhugraphcr, Washingmn. nx;

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID VVOODFORD, OF WEST MENTOR, OHIO.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,884, dated December 13, 1857.

Application filed April 2-1, 1887. Serial No. 235,7IIO. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in wire fences; and it"consists in certain features of construction and in combinations of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a section of fence embodying my invention, the wires being broken away between the different supports to reduce the size of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a plan View of one of the anchors of the main post. Fig. 8is an enlarged plan in detail 01' the spring and mechanism for eonnecti ng the ends of opposing wires.

A represents the main posts, set in the ground for supporting fence-wires, and by reason of auxiliary supports, hereinafter described, the posts A may be set at considerable distances apart. To prevent the posts from heaving with the frost, I provide anchors A, that are attached to opposite sides of the posts, and to admit of the posts, with the anchors attached, being set in holes made with an ordinary post-auger these anchors are of the following construction: The anchor is of metal and substantially of the form shown in Fig. 2, one edge of the anchor being turned at aright angle to the body thereof, forming a brace, a. A slot, a, is made to receive a spike, a the latter having a T-shaped head, this head being made to extend crosswise of the post. The slot a is made partly in the body of the anchor and partly in the brace a, by reason of which the anchor may be turned up by the side of the post, as shown in the lower central portion of Fig. 1, while the post is being placed in the post-hole. A little dirt is dug out of the two sides of the hole opposite the anchors to fill the hole below the anchors and to permit the latter to be turned down into the position shown at the lower left-hand corner of Fig. 1, after which the dirt is tramped into the hole in the usual manner. \Vith the anchors extended, as shown, the part a rests against the face of the post, forming a brace. The body of the anchor rests on top of the head of the spike to,

. while the extreme edge of the brace a forms a cross-bar extending under the shank of thespike. \Vith this construction the posts A, with their anchors attached, are set in postholes made with ordinary post-angers with little trouble, and when once properly set, by reason'of the anchors, are not liableto be lifted by the-frost. If the posts A areset a long distance apart, it requires great tensile strain on the wires to hold them up approximately in a straight line, and under such great strain the wires are easily broken-for instance, with cattle rubbing or running against the wires.

To save the cost of extra posts A and the setting of the same, I provide light intermediate posts, B, located about midway between the posts A. These posts 13 rest on the ground, or, preferably, on a Hat stone or other support, to prevent their settling into the ground.

The fence-wires O are attached to the posts A and B, in the usual manner, by means of hooks, staples, or whatever may be used for the purpose. \Vith the posts B holding up the wires between the posts A, it is only necessary to give the wires about half the tensile strain that would be required without the posts B. To prevent the fence-wires from being spread apart or from being lifted or swayed excessively by the wind or other disturbing cause, I provide between the postsA andB one, two, three, or more anchor-wires, D, more or less in number, according to circumstances. The wires D are twisted around the respective fence-wires and have respectively attached anchors (Z, the latter being set in the ground.

It is evident that the fence-wires cannot sway any considerable distance without drawing on the wires D, and, these latter being firmly anchored, they give lateral support to the fence-wires and indirectly to the posts A, relieving the latter from undue lateral strain in case of high winds,unruly cattle, and other disturbing causes. The wires D and their attached anchors, the latter being usually thin broad pieces of cast-iron of no great weight, are comparatively cheap, and, while they greatly add to the stability of the fence,

add but a trifie to its cost. The fence-wires C may be round or flat, barbed or otherwise, as may be thought most advisable, the upper wire usually being made heavier and stronger than the other wires.

At the ends of each line of fence the posts are braced or otherwise secured in suitable manner to withstand the strain of the wires.

At or near the center of each line of fence I provide a yoke, E, the latter being made of a broad thin bar of iron bent substantially in the form shown in Fig. l, the central portion thereof resting on the ground and serving in the place of a post B. The opposing ends of the fence-wires are fastened to eyebolts e, or hook-bolts, as'the case may be, and these pass side by side through holes made in the legs of the yoke, the bolts being separated from each other far enough to admit of turning the nuts 6, by which these bolts are secured and tightened. Heavy spiral springs F' are made to embrace each pair of bolts 6, such springs abutting against the legs of the yoke, as shown in Fig. 1. The nuts 6 are tightened to give the desired tension to the connected fencewire. WVith this arrangement anylateral strain brought to bear on the fence-wires will, by means of the bolts e, draw the legs of the yoke toward each other, thereby compressing-the spring or springs F located at such parts of the yoke. By means of the yielding of these springs, incase an animal should run against the fence, the wires or end posts would sustain no great extra strain, and as soon as such lateral pressure was removed the recoil of the springs E would return their wires to their normal position. i

The spring F may be made light and short or longer and stiffer, according to the length of the line of fence, andin case ofan extremely long line it would perhaps be better to have two or more yokes E and springs F inserted in such long fence-line.

It is well known that with a long line of fence, if the wires are drawn tight in summer time and left in such condition, the wires are liable to break by contraction during the winter, and if the wires are suitably strained in cold weather they will become slack by expansion in summer time. With springs arranged as aforesaid this difficulty is overcome, such springs having a tendency to equalize the strain on the wires under expansion and contraction, so that the strain on the fence is substantially the same winter or summer.

The devices hereinbefore described are admirably adapted for vine-trellises, and I claim the invention for such purposes.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with fenceposts, wires secured thereto, and. upright wires connecting the fence-wires and anchored at their lower the fence-wires are yieldingly secured, substantiall y as set forth.

2. The combination, with fence-wires and supporting-posts, of a yoke interposed in the line of the fence, eyebolts for attaching the respective wires, said bolts being made to pass through both legs of the yoke, with securingnuts on the opposite side of the yoke from the respective wire attachments, and springs interposed between the legs of the yoke to strain the wires, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with fence-posts, of a metal anchor hinged thereto, said anchor having a flange extending at right angles to the body of the anchor, and a slot made partly in the flange and partly in the body of the anchor to accommodate the securing-spike when the anchor is folded against the post or extended from the post, substantially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of March, 1887.

DAVID WQODFORD.

WVitnesses: 1

GHAs. H. DORER, ALnERT E. LYNOI-I. 

